Bleach: Shinigami of Time
by Yukiko of the Snow
Summary: AU! A parody of Pokémon: Explorers of Time. When areas suddenly become frozen in time, it is up to Ichigo, a mysterious boy with no past, and Orihime, a cowardly girl with a heart of gold, to save their world.
1. Chapter 1

Hello and welcome to this new story I am writing. Being honest, this is technically not my story. This story originally belonged to my younger sister, Murcielago Princess. She started this story a while ago, but never got pass the third chapter. And after a great tragedy occurred within our family, she lost all interest in this story. But instead of giving up on this story altogether and deleting it, she offered to give it to me. I saw lots of potential in this story and decided to give it a shot. And after doing some research (aka playing the game for myself) and selecting characters for roles, I finally have the first chapter written. Now I am not following the story 100%, but the changes won't have too much of a drastic impact to the original story line.

Just a little facts I feel I should mention so everyone can be on the same page.

· All major characters are either Shinigami, Arrancars, or Visoreds. There will be no Fullbringers, Humans or their sub-species, Quincies. Anyone who fall into the mentioned categories will be automatically be redesigned as Shinigami.

· There will be hollows in this story. But they will be filling to the role of dungeon monsters. The exception will be the hero.

· This an AU story. Ranks, relationships, and anything else pertaining to the Bleach story line mean nothing.

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Chapter 1

_**Welcome!**_

_**This is the portal that leads to a world inhabited only by those who possess a Zanpakutō.**_

_**Beyond this gateway lies many adventures and fresh experiences for two friends on a quest to save their world from the forces of darkness.**_

CRACK!

The thunder echoed around him. He could hear the howling wind as it push against him and his partner. It was already hard enough running with his gigantic horns; the storm was definitely not helping.

CRACK!

This time he could see the bolt of lightning as it raced across the dark night sky. This means that the exit of the tunnel was close. Soon they would begin their mission.

"WHOA!" cried a voice as the lightning lit up his partner's face for a brief moment. "The storm was not part of the plan." He looked towards the person again but it was so dark that he could barely make out the figure. "WH…WHOA!" He could see the end of the tunnel. With a final leap, they rolled onto the muddy ground.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he helped his partner up from the mud puddle. He looked upwards as more streaks of lightning scattered across the blackened clouds.

"Yeah." His partner said. "Look out!" he heard as a bolt struck him. He felt his face crack as the surge of electricity spread through his entire body.

"Are you alright?!" his partner asked as they rush towards him. But he began to fall backwards, having no control of his body.

"ICHIGO!" he heard as his body tumbled over the edge of the cliff. His partner grabbed him by the arm. "Hang on!" His partner tried to lift him up, but couldn't. "Come on Ichigo! Hang on!" He tried to pull himself up, but his body had gone completely numb.

"N-n-no!" he heard his partner cry as their grasp weakened. "I can't hold on!" his partner gave one pull, but the boy's hand slipped away, sending him falling into the ocean. "ICHIGO!"

"ICHIGO! ICHIGO!" he heard one last time before his body hit the sea. The world around him began to turn black as he heard a loud splash.

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CRACK!

_Where am I?_ He thought as he began to open his eyes. He felt so cold and wet. He took a breath, only to inhale water. _I can't breathe_. He saw a fish swimming past his face, then came to the realization that he was underwater. Though his body felt weak, he mustered all the strength he could as he began to swim his way upward. Finally emerging from the water, he took a deep breath of air. He franticly looked around to see if there was land but all he could see were the darkened skies and the crashing waves.

_CRACK!_

The sky lit up as another lightning streak stuck down. A wave hit him from the back and tried to drag him back under, but he was able to stay afloat. He struggled against the current, swimming aimlessly through the sea. Hoping that he could find some land before he drowned.

_How did I get here?_ He asked himself as he swam. He couldn't remember anything but his name. The current became weaker, a good sign that he was near land. He swam faster until he felt land beneath his feet. With the last bit of energy he had, he crawled his way onto the sandy beach.

"I made it." he sighed in relief as he collapsed on the beach. He turned on to his back and looked upwards to see the sun breaking through the clouds. He could hear that ocean waves were calmer now. His eyelids began to grow heavy.

"I can't." He fought hard to stay awake, but he was too exhausted. "Drifting off…" he said before he closed his eyes and fell unconscious.

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A/N: Sorry if it is really short, but this is only a prologue. So what do you think? Is it good, bad or so-so?


	2. Chapter 2

Hi again! I'm really happy that lots of people read the first chapter. And I even got two reviews! So here is chapter 2! Enjoy!

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Chapter 2

"Hmm…" said the girl with long orange hair in a shihakushō as she paced back and forth in front of the town's guild hall. She had practically spent all day hiding behind a couple of shrubs, trying to work up the nerves to finally join the exploration guild. But if felt that every time she tried to take a step towards the guild, she would just take two large steps back. Now the sun was setting and she still no closer to joining the guild than she was this morning.

Maybe I shouldn't join. She thought as she stared at the entrance.

"No." she said as she emerged from the bushes. "I refuse to be paralyzed by this fear any longer!" She hesitantly took a few steps forward. "This is it. Starting today, I'm going to be brave!" She puffed up her chest and marched towards the entry.

_You can do this Orihime!_ She chanted in her mind as she continued onward. _You are brave. You are not a fraidy-cat._ As she continued on, she didn't notice that she had stepped onto a circular wooden platform.

"SHINIGAMI DETECTED!" a loud voice cried out. "SHINIGAMI DETECTED!" At that moment, Orihime frozen, unsure what to do next. "WHO'S REIASTU IS THIS!" the disembodied voice said as Orihime broke out in a cold sweat. "THIS IS ORIHIME'S REIASTU!" Orihime didn't know what to do. Should she continue on or at least answer back. But her knees began to shake uncontrollably.

"Waah!" Orihime cried as she retreated to her safe haven behind the bushes. She sat there, holding her trembling legs close to her chest. "That scared me half to death." She said as she finally stood up and took a long glance at the guild. "I can't…" she turned away, her gaze cast downwards. "I can't even bring myself to go inside. I thought today would finally be the day I stopped being so gutless…" she sighed as she pulled a strange looking stone with marking from her kosode shelve. "I thought that maybe if I had my special treasure with me today, I would finally have to courage to join. But…" her eyes began to get watery. "I'll never be anything but a coward!" she cried as she ran away. As she passed a large bush, she didn't notice that a Shinigami with black hair that reached to his shoulders and feathers adorning his eyelashes had come out of hiding.

"Hey Ikkaku," he called out as another Shinigami, this one with no hair, followed. "Did you see that?"

"You bet I did, Yumichika." He said as he drank the last bit of his sake. "That little wimp had something valuable with her."

"Indeed she did." Yumichika plucked his Zanpakutō out from the bush and placed it on his hip. "I think we just found ourselves a new target." He said as the two Shinigami began to follow her.

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"What a discouraging day." Orihime wiped away her tears as she walked along the beach. She wanted to join the Shinigami Exploration guild more than anything in this world. To go on amazing adventures, see new and exciting things and to meet new friends. But the more she thought about this, the less realistic it seem. Those Shinigami were assigned dangerous jobs. They would have to fight against hollows and sometimes even Arrancars. How could a little coward like her face such dangers when she couldn't even have the courage to enter the guild? Maybe it was for the best that she didn't join. At least she would be safe. She looked up to see bubbles floating through the evening sky. The tiny lizard hollows had finally emerged from their burrow, now they were blowing bubbles from on top of the hills that overlooked the ocean.

"What a beautiful sight." Orihime said as she watched the bubbles sparkled as they flowed over the sea. She loved coming down to the beach when she was feeling down. The view was always enough to heal her spirits. As she watched a bubble float away, she noticed something orange colored laying on the shore. "What's that?" Curious, she took a few steps closer to see that it was an unconscious boy. "Oh no someone collapsed on the beach!" she ran to the boy. "Hey, are you ok!" she asked as she shook him. She tried to wake him up but to no avail. "What am I going to do?" whoever he was, he was in pretty bad shape. He had only the lower half of his shihakushō, leaving his chest bare. His body was covered in cuts and bruises. And a burn make that ran down his right side told her that he must have been struck by lightning. Then she remembered her shun shun rikka. "Sōten Kisshun." She called out as two beams of light shot out from her hair pins created a barrier around the young man. "I reject!" Orihime watched vigilantly over the boy as she healed him. She may be a lousy fighter and a chicken but at least she was a decent healer.

"Uggh..." the boy let out a small moan as he began to stir.

"Thank goodness." She let out a sigh of relief. "Are you okay?" she asked as the boy sat up.

"Where…Where am I? "He asked as he slowly opened his eyes. Everything looked so unfamiliar.

"You're on the beach." She spook softly. "You weren't moving and I was afraid that you might have ... well you know. So I healed you." The boy turned to her, only for a look of horror to wash over his face.

"A SHINIGAMI!" he shouted as he scrambled a good distance away from her.

_OH NO!_ Had Orihime done something to upset him? Or worse, did she have another bug in her hair. "What's wrong?"

"You're a Shinigami, aren't you!" he yelled.

"Yes." Orihime answered, not really sure why that would bother him? After all, wasn't he a shinigami too?

"So what's stopping you from attacking me, girl?"

"Why would I attack you, silly?" she chuckled.

_What's with this girl?_ He thought as he kept eyeing her._ Is she blind or just plain stupid?_ But then his glare narrowed. _Or maybe she is just luring me into a false sense of security before she attacks me?_

"Because I'm a Vasto Lorde!" he yelled. Orihime gave him a flummoxed look as she walked around him. Her eyes scanning every inch of his body, as if she were searching for something.

"Are you sure you're not messing with me?" Orihime asked as she kneeled in front of him as he shook his head. She had never seen a Vasto Lorde before as they were very rare; some say they didn't even exist. But she had heard tales about them being more terrifying and stronger than a thousand hollows combined. But this boy didn't even look like a regular hollow, much less a Vasto Lorde. "Then where is your hollow hole?"

"Are you blind?" he snapped. "It's right here!" he place his hand over his chest where the hole was supposed to be. But he press down, he could no longer feel the large void. It was solid and he felt a weird thumping sensation. Was that his heart? Since when did he have a heart? "It can't be." He crawled over to the edge of the ocean. He couldn't believe what he was looking at as he stared at his own reflection. His long, wild, orange mane was gone and in its place was short, spikey hair. His once hard plaster white skin was now normal color and fleshy. His razor sharp claws were now stubby and looked more like worms. But what shocked him most was his face. He no longer saw his large, protruding horns, his jagged teeth or his hollow mask. He had cheeks, eyes, and even a nose. "What happened to me? "

"Are you sure you're okay?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah, it's just," he placed his hands over his new cheeks. Never in his life did he think his body could radiate such warm. "I used to be a Vasto Lorde."

"What could happened then?"

"I'm not sure." He said as he fell backward on to the sand. "All I know is that I woke up in the ocean."

"Can't you remember anything else?" Ichigo thought long and hard, trying to recall what had happened before he had awaken. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything. Where was he, and how did he get transformed into a Shinigami? He just shook his head again. He turned his focus to the girl.

"You said that you healed me." he said.

"Umm, well, sort of." Orihime said as began to get all flustered. "All I did was heal some cuts and bumps. It's all I'm really good for since I'm not much of a fighter."

"Well, thanks for helping me." He said as he gave her a soft smile.

"Ummm, you're welcome." All her life, she was called useless by the other Shinigami. This was the first time anyone had ever thanked her. He was such a nice guy, a little strange, but still nice. "Do you remember your name at least?" she asked as she sat beside him. He stared into the sky, wondering that himself.

"Ichigo." He said after a moment. He recalled someone had called him that. He wasn't sure who it was or if that was really his name. But it was the only thing he could remember.

"Ichigo," Orihime repeated. "That's a nice name. I'm Orihime. Sorry if I was a little doubtful. It's just that there have been lots of Arrancars and bad Shinigami popping lately and you can never be too…" but before she could finish, she was suddenly hoisted from the ground by some bald Shinigami.

"Hey girlie," he said as he shook the girl of her belongings. "I think you have something we want!"

"Let me go!" she struggled to break free but he was too strong.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted as he made a mad dash towards the bald Shinigami. "Leave her alone, you dumb ape!" But then another Shinigami appeared in front of him and knocked him to the ground.

"Back off, carrot top!" the second Shinigami said coolly. "This doesn't concern you."

"She got nothing, Yumichika." The bald man said as he toss Orihime to the side. As she fell to the ground, something fell from her shelve.

"Really?" Yumichika shunpo to Orihime, snatching the item before she could hide it. "What do we have here?" he said as he stared at the small slab of stone with unusual markings on it.

"No!" Orihime opposed as she tried to retrieve it. "It's nothing!" but Yumichika gave her a strong shove that sent her crashing to the floor.

"Nothing, huh." Yumichika said with a smirk on his face. "Then I guess you won't mind if we take it." He shoved the stone into his pocket.

"That's my personal treasure! You can't have it" Orihime cried as she got back on her feet. "So give it back!"

."You hear that Ikkaku?" Yumichika snickered. "The town crybaby is giving us orders."

"Oh, is she now?" Ikkaku walked over to her, his hand on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. "If you want it so bad, then why don't you fight us for it?" Orihime glared furiously as she clenched her fist. She wanted show these two that she was not a crybaby. That she could be brave and she could defeat them if she wanted too.

_Oh who am I kidding?_ She thought as what little courage faded away. Yumichika and Ikkaku were strong Shinigami. How could a coward like herself even stand a change?

"I can't." She mumbled as she sank to her knees. "I can't."

"What a wuss!" Ikkaku said as he away from her. "Can you believe this chicken actually thought she could join the guild?"

"Join it?" Yumichika laughed. "She doesn't even have the guts to get through the front door." Orihime could feel tears gathering as Yumichika and Ikkaku started laughing at her.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted as he stood up. How dare these two pick on a helpless girl? "Give her back her treasure or else!"

"Or else what?" Ikkaku responded.

"I will take it back by force!" Ichigo shouted. He may not be a Vasto Lorde anymore, but he was certain that could take down these two thugs without his hollow powers.

"We might want to be careful with this one." Yumichika whispered to Ikkaku. "There something about this guy's reiatsu that's gives me the creeps."

"I agree." Ikkaku turned back to Ichigo. "Sorry, but we got to run." He said as he and Yumichika darted into a nearby cave.

"See ya, losers!" Yumichika called out before vanishing into the cave.

"Get back here and fight me, you punks!" He shouted, but before he could give chase, he felt Orihime grab hold of his arm.

"Don't go!" she cried. "There are a lot of hollows in that cave! You'll get hurt."

"But you can't just let them get away with it!"

"No, it's alright." She said as she forced a smile on her face. "That item isn't worth risking your life." But he just pulled away.

"Don't worry." He said as he ran to the cave. "I'll be back soon." Orihime watched helplessly as Ichigo disappeared into the cave.

"What should I do!" she asked herself. Normally she wouldn't dare go into a cave with ferocious hollows that could take her down as if it was nothing. She would just forget about her treasure and go home to sulk. But this time, if she did nothing then Ichigo would get hurt and it would be her fault. She couldn't be a coward this time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _You can do this, Orihime._ She chanted once more. _You have to, for Ichigo's sake._

"Ichigo!" she yelled as she followed him into the cave. "Wait for me!"

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A/N: Now I know I'm going to be told that Ichigo is a Visored, not a hollow and we don't know if he can be a Vasto Lorde, so let me address this right now. This is a AU, that means the principle of the manga and anime mean nothing in this story. And besides, I always thought of Ichigo's hollow form as his Vasto Lorde form when he fought against Ulquiorra.


	3. Chapter 3

Yes! I finally got around to updating this story. And I made it long, just because You guys were so patient.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

"Damn!" Ichigo said as he punched another away. That Orihime girl wasn't kidding when she said that this cave would be crawling with hollows. This would be so much simpler if he could blast these guys away with one of his cero. But unfortunately for him, all he had to his device were his new fleshly hands. He didn't even have sharp claws to tear them apart.

"Ichigo!" he heard someone called out from behind. But as he turned around, a dense force came hurtling down on his head, sending both of them crashing down to the ground.

"What just hit me?" Ichigo sat up and saw Orihime, rubbing the bump on her head. "Orihime! What are doing here?"

"I'm sorry!" she cried out as she kneeled apologetically. "I didn't mean to run into you. I was just…"

"Look out!" he pushed her head down just a hollow had appeared behind her. Ichigo gave it a quick jab and sent the hollow flying into the wall.

"Thank you..." Orihime stood up.

"What are you doing in here?!" Ichigo snapped at her, causing her to jump back. "This place is packed with enemies! That one almost took your freakin' head off!"

"Um... I just…" She said as she nervously wring her hand. "…wanted to help." Her voice was shaking. "I…I know I'm pretty hopeless and…. And I don't know how useful I will be. But I want to help you, even if it's only a little."

"Orihime," he watched the girl that stood before him. She hadn't stop trembling since the moment she had ran into him. Her face was so pale, it was a wonder that she hadn't collapsed from sheer fear. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Yes…" she looked down. " I've never been more terrified. This is probably the most reckless thing I have ever done in my entire life. To be perfectly honest, I wish I could run away and hide. Even if that meant losing my most precious treasure."

"Then why?" he asked. "If that thing doesn't matter to you, then why would you risk coming down here in the first place?"

"Because," she looked him in his eyes; her eyes shining with determination. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. I can't afford to be a coward this time."

"Orihime," Ichigo said. Her determination was certainly impressive.

"Besides, you don't have a weapon." Ichigo's face when blank. How could he go into battle without a damn weapon? "I couldn't let you come into the cave completely unarmed." She said as she handed him her Zanpakutō. "Here you are."

"Wait, but if I have your Zanpakutō, what will you use?" he tried to give the sword back to her.

"That's alright. I don't have much use for a Zanpakutō." Orihime pushed it away. "I'm not much of a fighter anyways."

"Thanks," he placed the Zanpakutō around his hip. "Come on. Let's get your treasure back from those two jerks."

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"So, how much do you think this thing is worth?" Ikkaku asked as he tossed the stone into the air, only to have Yumichika catch it on its way down.

"It will be worth nothing if you break it, you idiot!"

"Don't get your hakama in a bunch." Ikkaku picked up a rice ball and crammed it into his mouth. "It's just a stupid rock with some fancy pictures on it. They aren't even good pictures. Just a bunch of stupid squiggly lines. "

"Maybe to the untrained eye." He stared hard at the rock. "But this thing looks very valuable. And if we find the right buyer, we could be set for at least a year." They were so deep in conservation that they didn't realize that Ichigo and Orihime were quietly hiding behind a large boulder.

"There they are." She whispered as she watched those two handle her precious treasure so recklessly. "Those dumb brutes." Orihime knew she couldn't get her treasure back by force. Yumichika and Ikkaku were much bigger and stronger than her. Perhaps she could quietly sneak up behind them and take her treasure without either of them noticing.

_That could work._ She thought.

"Hey!" Ichigo shouted as he approached the two Shinigami, ruining any hope of resolving this matter without any violent. But she had to support Ichigo, so hesitantly, Orihime stood up and followed him.

"Well, well," Yumichika said as he and Ikkaku stood up. "If it isn't the crybaby and her orange hair little friend." He threw Orihime a hard glare that caused Orihime to hide behind Ichigo. "I must say I' shocked to see you come into the beach cave. Or did orange boy dragged your sorry self through the cave?" he mocked as both of them broke out in laugher.

_What am I doing here?_ She asked as she looked down. _Maybe I should just run away while I still have the chance._ But she had come too far to back away now. Slowly she stepped away from Ichigo.

"Give me…." She murmured after her breath. "G...ive m….e…." Orihime couldn't stop shaking. Just looking at those Shinigami was enough to make her run away. But as she glanced upwards, towards Ichigo, he gave her a reassuring smile. Suddenly she felt a sudden surge of courage flowing through her body. She took a few steps forward; her chest puffed out. She turned to Ikkaku and Yumichika, casting a gaze of determination their way. "GIVE ME BACK MY TREASURE!" she cried as loud as she could. "IT IS PRICELESS TO ME AND I WANT IT BACK NOW!" the two Shinigami could only look at this girl; dumbfounded by her sudden burst of bravery. Even Ichigo couldn't believe that a mousey looking girl like Orihime could be this bold. But seconds later, Ikkaku and Yumichika grinned.

"So this thing really is valuable." Yumichika said as he shoved the stone back into his shelve.

"Forget a year." Ikkaku said. "We could be set for a decade. There is no way in hell we're gonna give it back now."

"But…you….can't." Orihime shuddered as her lower lip began to quiver.

"She said give it back!" Ichigo demanded, taking a few towards the two. "Or do I have to take it back by force!"

"Well, then." Ikkaku began to unsheathe his weapon. "You want it back so much, then fight us for it!" Suddenly they both charged the pair. Reacting quickly, Ichigo pulled out his Zanpakutō to block both of their attacks. With a powerful swing, he pushed Ikkaku and Yumichika backwards, knocking the rock out of their hold.

"Now's your chance, Orihime!" Ichigo called out. Orihime rushed to retrieve her treasure only to be knocked to the ground by Yumichika.

"You're starting to work on my last nerve, you little brat!" he growled as he raised his Zanpakutō over Orihime.

"Orihime!" Ichigo tried to go to her aid when he suddenly stuck to the ground.

"Keep your eye on your own battle, you idiot!" Ikkaku roared as he tried to strike him. Only to miss at a split second.

_This is it_. Orihime covered her face as not to see the finishing blow. _I can't believe after all this, I still failed. Except this time, I fail Ichigo as well. I wanted…_she felt tears forming behind her eyelids. _I wanted to_

"Now die, you coward!" He said, lowering his blade to make the final blow.

"I wanted to help him!" she cried out.

"What the …!" she heard Yumichika say. She opened her eyes to see a light, in shape of a triangle, catching the blade of attacker.

"Is this my doing?" Orihime asked, just staring at the light. All this time, she had thought that her Shun Shun Rikka was only capable of healing. "I reject!" she shouted as the barrier repelled Yumichika, slamming him into the cave wall. "How I did I do that?" but her train of thought was broken by Ichigo's holler of pain. As she turned around, she saw Ichigo fall to the ground as Ikkaku's sword struck him in the chest. "Ichigo!" she cried as she ran to his aid.

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"Damn this guy." Ichigo said as he held his wounded chest. This badly was stronger than he looked. Or maybe it was that he had not fully recovered his strength after pulling himself out of the ocean. Either way, Ichigo was in deep trouble.

"You should have mind your own business, boy." Ikkaku hovered over him with his Zanpakutō resting on his shoulder. "You would have lived a lot longer." As he rose his sword, Orihime appeared behind him.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed as she knocked him over the head with a log with such a strong force that it cracked the log in half. But he only stumbled a bit before he turned his sights on Orihime.

"Why you little!" He readied his attack against the girl. But at the last second, Ichigo rammed the hilt of his Zanpakutō to the back of his head. Ikkaku crumpled to the floor as Orihime rushed passed him to Ichigo. "Ichigo," she cried as she kneeled next to him. "You're hurt."

"It's fine, Orihime." He got to his feet. "It's just a flesh wound."

"IKKAKU!" they both turned around to see Yumichika rushing to help his fallen friend. "You'll pay for this, you brats!" but as he tried to pick him up, Ichigo aimed his Zanpakutō at Yumichika's head.

"You're not in any positions to giving out threats." He said. "Now give back what you took from Orihime. Unless you want another beating." Yumichika gave him a cold glare as he reached into his shelve and pulled out the stone.

"Take it." He tossed it to the ground before hoisting his unconscious friend on his shoulder. "Don't get too cocky about your win. Next time, I guarantee that you losers won't be so lucky!" and with that, Yumichika, while carrying Ikkaku, ran off.

"Jerk. At least he could have handed it to you." Ichigo picked up the stone and turned to Orihime. "Here you are, Orihime."

"Thank you," she said as she cautiously received her treasure. As she pressed the treasure close to her chest, her cheeks grew warm. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, just for my sake. You'll just met me, But still you risked it all to help me retrieved my treasure." She lifted her head, but soon realized that she was talking to herself.

"Orihime!" Ichigo called out from the edge of the cave. "Hurry up before you get left behind.  
"Wait for me!" she cried out as she scrabbled to the exit.

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"There you are." Orihime said as she activated her Shun Shun Rikka. "You'll be good as new in no time."

"Thank Orihime." Ichigo felt around his chest as the wound was starting to close. Her healing abilities were incredible to say the least. With a bit of training, she could become a force to be reckoned with. "Those powers of yours really did come in handy."

"Oh, it's okay." She responded while blushing. "It's the least I could do after everything you have done for me. After all, I would have never gotten my treasure back without your help."

"It's no big deal." He turned away. "I only helped because I hate seeing others being taken advantage of." But now that he had time to time, he was beginning to wonder if he had done the right thing. Yes, those stupid jerks did have it coming, but the point of the matter was that this had nothing to do with him. He couldn't go around beating the living daylights out of total strangers just because of one girl. But as he took a glance towards Orihime, he was surprised. She was smiling, because of him. As a Vasto Lorde, he never though he could bring happiness to anyone. But her smile, that shined brighter than the sun, gave him a strange sense of satisfaction. It was nice to feel appreciated.

_I guess I did_. He smiled, erasing any bit of doubt that remain.

"So," he asked just as Orihime had finished healing him. "What did those two take from you anyways?" Orihime reached into her kosode and pulled out a rock.

"this." she gleefully said as she held the rock in her palm. "Isn't it wonderful?" but Ichigo couldn't see what she was so excited about.

"It's just a rock." He blurted out.

"No its not!" she pulled the rock close to her. "It's my most valuable treasure. I call it a relic fragment." Ichigo took a closer look at this relic fragment. This strange rock had strange looking markings on it; shaped like some kind of sun. Something about this rock felt familiar, as if he had seen it before. But that was impossible. He had just met this girl today.

"Where did you find this?" he asked.

"I found it one day while on a walk." She said as her focus fell onto the fragment. "You see, I have always been fascinated with legends and lore. I get so excited when I hear tales from the past. I'm sure you feel the same way." Ichigo was tempted to disagree. He could care less about make believe stories. But the look of absolute bliss on her face made him keep his mouth shut. "Can you imagine," she continued on. "Mysterious remnants and hidden treasure," she turned towards the ocean. "Uncharted territories that are veiled in darkness and new land, just waiting to be discovered! Such places must be full of gold. But all that matters to me is the history! Learning things that no one even knew existed. I bet it would be incredible to make such historic discoveries. I guess you can say it's my greatest dream." But then she realized that she was yammering too much about something Ichigo probably didn't care about. "I'm sorry." She said as her face flushed a deep red. "You probably think I'm annoying."

"Not at all." He placed his hand gently on Orihime's shoulder. "I think that sounds like a great dream." He said as Orihime's face lit up with delight.

"Doesn't it. That's why I was so excited when I discovered this relic fragment." She said as she ran her fingers across the fragment's surface. "I know it looks like a piece of junk to most folk, but I know that this little relic fragment holds some importance. It could hold scripture from a lost civilization. Or maybe a crucial piece that unlocks a treasure trove of unknown history." She pressed the fragment close to her heart. "I want to believe that this little fragment is the key to some wonderful legendary place. A place where precious treasures and untold secrets lie. I guess that why I wanted to join a guild in the first place. To find out where this fragment belongs. I want to solve the mystery of the relic fragment." But just as soon as her smile appeared, it faded away. "But now that I think about it, it seems like a ridiculous idea. I couldn't even get through the front door. I guess I'll always be a coward."

"What are you talking about? You looked pretty brave to me." Ichigo interjected. "You practically handled those two creeps on your own."

"Actually," she said as she played with her fingers in a nervous matter. "I was only like that because of brave you were." Her face began to heat up. She couldn't believe she just said that. She had just met him and she didn't want to give him the wrong message. Desperately she thought of a way to change the subject. "Um…so. What will you do now, Ichigo?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you lost your memory and were somehow transformed from a Vasto Lorde to a Shinigami. Do you know what you are going to do about this situation?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." He sighed as he looked towards the setting sun. "I just wish I could remember something about my past. Where I come from? Who called out my name? Or at least what happened to me. But no matter how hard I tried, I always keep drawing a blank."

Poor Ichigo. Orihime thought. She couldn't imagine what it was like to just wake up with nothing. Not even memories to confront you. I wish I could help, but what could a little fraidy-cat like me do? She couldn't even walk into the guild without breaking out into a cold sweat. But then a thought came to her. What if she could find a way to help both of them at the same time?

"That's it!" she suddenly shot up, startling the orange hair boy.

"What's gotten into you?"

"Ichigo," she turned to him. "We should join the exploration guild, as a team!"

"I don't know." Ichigo said in a hesitant tone. "How will that help me out?"

"But Ichigo, the exploration guild is led by a great master. A man of great knowledge. I'm positive that he will be able to figure out the great mystery of Ichigo! And beside" she looked down to hide her red cheeks. "I think we would make a pretty good team." But Ichigo didn't seem too convinced. He needed to find out what had happened to him. What had transformed him into a Shinigami? He couldn't waste his time going on adventures. But then he sighed. But at the same time, he didn't know where to start. It's not like he had any leads to follow. It wouldn't hurt to talk to this so called great, all-knowing master. And even if he didn't have the answer Ichigo was looking for, what harm could can from him teaming up with Orihime? And who knew; maybe by going on these adventure, he would eventually discover the truth.

"Alright," he said as he stood up. "I'll join with you."

"Really!" Orihime cried as her eyes shined with delight. "You really want to form a team with me?"

"sure." He smiled at her. "Like you said, we make a pretty good team."

"Oh thank you!" she called as she grabbed Ichigo's hand and jumped up and down in excitement. "Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll work hard to help you regain your memories! Now come on," she said as she led Ichigo towards the village. "Let's go to the guild!"

_And so, Ichigo and Orihime formed an exploration team. Little did either of them know that this would be their very first step into many fantastic realms of adventures that awaited their arrival._

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A/N: Yes, I know Orihime doesn't own a zanpakuto. Yes, I know that you can't transfer a zanpakuto that way. Remember, this is a AU. The laws of Bleach do not apply to this story!


	4. Chapter 4

Wow, it's been a while since I last updated. Many apologies for that, I just haven't had a lot of time to write for this story.

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Chapter 4

"Here we are, Ichigo!" Orihime cheerfully announced as she and Ichigo reached the top of the hill located just outside the village. "This is the exploration guild."

"Um, Orihime" Ichigo looked at the structure before them in complete skepticism. "Are you sure this is the right place?" While he wasn't expecting a giant castle with a mote or anything fancy like that, the way Orihime describe it, he did picture something a bit more … intimidating. This so-called amazing exploration guild was just a tent. While it wasn't a tiny tent, this place was probably smaller than most of the building in the town just below. The tent didn't even look threatening. For goodness sake, the fabric was pink, flower patterned and looked more like a women's kimono. And on top of the tent was a weird looking object that resembled a large, ridiculous straw hat. Sure the two torches set up on both sides of the tent may be a little menacing to someone like Orihime. But to him, those goofy looking totem poles were nothing more than an eyesore.

"Uh huh." She said as she walked up to the tent. "Isn't it wonderful?"

_What the hell did I get myself into?_ Ichigo asked himself. He was supposed to be finding a way to regain his memory. How was he going to find any answers in a place like this? But he remembered the promise he had made with the Shinigami girl. _I made it this far, Ichigo let out a sigh. I might as well follow through with it._

"So how do we get into this place?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, first we have to register our exploration team with the Guild master. After that, we will have train as apprentices until we become a first rate exploration team."

"That sounds like a lot of work, just to become an explorer." Ichigo replied. "And you're positive you want through this?" But Orihime didn't respond. Of course she wanted to join the guild. It had been her life dream for as long as she could remember. But the idea of marching into the guild was still terrifying. Just looking at the platform once again was making her anxious.

_No_. she said as she walked up to the platform. She refused to run away again. After all, this time she had Ichigo with her. _I have to be brave._ She stepped on to the platform once more.

"SHINIGAMI DETECTED!" the platform called out once more. "WHOSE REISTU IS THIS? THIS IS ORIHIME'S REISTU."

"Waah!" Orihime shrieked. Just like before, Orihime felt like fleeing. But then she shook her head vigorously. _No._ She thought to herself as she held herself together. _Not this time._ She couldn't run away again; not when Ichigo was watching.

"YOU MAY ENTER, SHINIGAMI ORIHIME." Orihime let out a sigh of relief as she quickly stepped off the platform.

"Good job Orihime." Ichigo said

"HEY!" the voice called out again. "IS SOMEONE ELSE IS WITH YOU!"

"Um, yes…" Orihime replied to the disembodied voice. "My friend is here with me."

"TELL THAT STRANGER TO STAND ON THE PLATFORM!"

"Whatever." Ichigo walked up to the stand. As it turned out, this platform was nothing more than a deep hole that was covered with a large grate. _And here I thought it was more complexed than that._

"HEY STRANGER!" The loud voice called out once more. "HURRY UP AND STEP ON THE STAND! I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!"

"Alright." Ichigo growled as he stood in the middle of the platform.

"SHINIGAMI DETECTED!" they heard. "WHOSE REISTU IS THIS? THIS IS ….UM….THIS IS?" But the voice seem to be having a bit of trouble identifying Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Hey Kiyone!" they heard a male voice shout out. "What's wrong!?"

"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo turned to Orihime, hoping that she had the answer. But she merely shrugged her shoulders.

"What's the hold up?!

"Well… this reiatsu is of a Shinigami." She hesitated. "Maybe a Shinigami."

"Maybe!" "Maybe! You're the sentry of our guild, in charge of who and who doesn't enter our guild! And the only damn answer you can give a damn MAYBE!"

"Will you shut up, Sentarō!" This Kiyone woman cried out. "I think it's a Shinigami, but something feels off about him!"

"Sounds to me that you're just lousy at your damn job, sentry Kiyone!"

"Well, let's see you do this job, MR. I THINK I'M SO MUCH SMARTER AND BETTER THAN ANYONE!"

Are they seriously arguing in front of us? Ichigo sighed heavily as he rolled his eyes. So much for being professional.

"So…Sorry to make you wait so long." Kiyone said to Orihime and Ichigo. "While it is true that your reiatsu is quite unusual for a Shinigami, your aura doesn't seem to be threatening. So you must be a good guy." The two waited quietly for the woman to respond. "Ok, good enough. You both may enter." They heard the grinding of gears as the metal gates of the tent began to rise. Though Orihime had waited for this day for so long, the day she could finally enter the guild, she was unable to move a single step. She didn't even know if heart was racing because she was excited or scared out of her mind. Why was it, even now, she still had to be a coward? Suddenly Orihime felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Orihime." Ichigo said to her as he lifted his hand away. "You'll do fine." His warm smile was enough to give her the courage to carry on.

"Thanks Ichigo," she said as she took the first step towards the guild. "Now let's join a guild, Ichigo." The pair walked into the tent, expecting to find the guild, but there was nothing here. Nothing but a couple signs pointing to a ladder that led underground.

"What the hell is this?" Ichigo asked as he stared on, completely dumbfounded. "Orihime, are you positive that this is the place?"

"I…" Orihime shuddered a bit. She was sure that this was the guild. But the inside looked like nothing she had ever imagined. She was expecting a large hall, full of explorers from all over the world. But this room was just disappointing. There was nothing here to even indicate that this place was a guild. "I think so. Perhaps," Orihime walked towards the ladder. "We'll find something if we go down this ladder." Though she was a little anxious to touch the ladder. It looked rather scrawny and timeworn. It would probably break the second she second onto it. She could get hurt or worse.

"Let's get this over with." Ichigo stepped on the ladder, without even thinking about the consequences.

_He really is something else_. Orihime thought as she watched Ichigo disappear down the hole. Ichigo was so bold in any situation; the complete opposite of her, who had to scrutinize every situation and worry about every possible catastrophe. _If only I could have even an ounce of his courage, maybe I wouldn't be such a fraidy-cat._

"Come on Orihime." Ichigo called out from below.

"I'm coming." She answered as she cautiously stepped on the rickety ladder. As the two descended downward into the darkness, the sounds of chatter and laugher began to echo across the tunnel. "Look Ichigo!" Orihime leaned over the edge of the ladder. "I see some light just down the tunnel! Maybe that could be the guild!"

"Be care Orihime." Ichigo cautioned her. "You don't want to…" but before he could finish his warning, Orihime lost her grip on the ladder.

"Eeek!" she shrieked as she fell downward.

"Orihime!" Ichigo quickly grabbed hold of Orihime's hand to help her, but found himself being dragged down alongside her. Ichigo was the first to hit the ground, slamming into the floor hard.

"Damn, that hurt." Ichigo said as he tried to sit up, only to have Orihime fall right on top of him just a few seconds later.

"Ow…" Orihime slowly sat up. "Are you okay Ichigo?" she asked, looking around for her friend. But she couldn't see him. "Ichigo?" she called out again.

"Get off of me." Ichigo muttered from underneath her.

"I'm sorry!" she cried as she moved off as quickly as she could. "I didn't mean to land on you like that!" her eyes started to tear up at the thought that she had just hurt her only friend.

"It's alright, Orihime." Ichigo said as he stood up. This girl was definitely oversensitive and quite frankly, he wasn't sure if she was ready to join this place. As Orihime looked up at Ichigo, her eyes veered to the left.

"Ichigo," She stood up and pointed in that direction. "Look." Ichigo turned to see a room full of Shinigami. Now this looked more like the guild that Orihime was going on about. This place was packed with explorers. "Wow." Orihime said in awe as they walked to the middle of the room. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of everything around her. Orihime couldn't believe how many exploration teams were in this guild. There were some looking at a job broad. Some were busy trading treasures that they had discovered while on their travels. But most were at the tables, talking about their most recent missions.

"So, this is a guild." Ichigo looked around as well. Though he wasn't nearly as excited about joining the guild as Orihime was, even he had to admit that this place was every interesting. Perhaps he could find the answers he was looking for in this place.

"Excuse me!" the pair heard someone call out from behind. They turned around to see a Shinigami walking towards them. This Shinigami was a slim and youthful girl with long black hair that was kept pinned back, with flat bangs that hang to the right side of her face. She had light blue eyes that have a tint of violet. On just on the bridge of her nose, she wore glasses with a slight oval shape to them that magnified the stern look on her face. "Where you the ones that just came crashing through the entrance?" she as in such a harsh tone that it made even Ichigo feel a bit nervous. "Well!" she called out.

"Umm…" Orihime looked down at her hand, afraid to look this lady in the face.

"We're sorry about that." Ichigo stepped in to help his friend. "We lost our footing on our way down. why would that matter to you anyways?"

"How rude! If you must know, my name is Nanao or Miss Nanao as newcomers tend to call me. I am the guild master's right hand Shinigami. One might say that I know everything that goes on within the walls of our guild." She lifted her glasses up into place. "Now I must ask you to leave the premises at once." She ordered as she turned the other way. "We are an official guild and have no time to entertain silly little sightseers."

"But were not sightseers!" Orihime called out, stopping Nanao in her tracks. "My friend and I want to form an exploration team. We're here to get the proper training to…"

"You two want to join our guild," Nanao interrupted her as she turned their way. "I must say this is quite a rarity to see such youth wanting to apprentice at our guild. Especially given the fact of how difficult our training is. Surely the steady stream of Shinigami that run away our guild is a testament of rigorous the program truly is."

"Excuse me," Orihime cut into the conversion. "But is the training really that harsh?" she asked with a worrisome look plastered on her face. Orihime knew that the training wasn't going to be a walk in the park. But if it was as tough as Nanao had described, then it would be near impossible for a weakling such as herself to complete it.

"Of course not," she retorted. "Perhaps to weak Shinigami, the training may be consider challenging. But to the elite Shinigami of this region, our training is mere child's play. However," she narrowed her eyes. "considering that you two couldn't even make it down entrance without falling down flat on your faces, it is quite obvious that neither of you has what it takes to become an explorer."

"But we are strong!" Orihime cried. "I'm sure, if you just give us a chance to prove ourselves, we could show you how strong we are."

"I highly doubt that." Nanao said.

"Just because we're clumsy, doesn't mean we're weak!" Ichigo shouted at the woman. "We just fought our way through that beach cave that was swarming with hollows. I can guarantee you that we just strong as any other Shinigami here!" Nanao stared at this boy with observant eyes. This boy must either be new in town or an idiot to talk back to the second strongest member of this guild. Normally she would deal with disrespect with harsh consequences. However she found this boy's boldness rather intriguing. But there was something else about this Shinigami that peaked her interest. His reiatsu was very different from regular Shinigami. Sentry Kiyone had described his reiatsu as an odd combination a Shinigami and something abnormal. And after sensing this phenomenon herself, she was sure that this boy had great potential within him.

"It seem that I may had underestimated you two." She pulled her glasses up once more. "Alright then. Follow me, please." She spun around and made her way to the ladder.

"What a sudden change of attitude." Orihime whispered to Ichigo.

"You ain't kidding."

"Will you two hurry up!" Nanao reprimand the two. "I don't have time to waste on your dilly dally!"

"Yes Miss Nanao!" They both said in union as quickly follow the young Shinigami, afraid to upset her any further.

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"Here we are." Nanao announced as they stepped onto the floor. "The guild's second floor, located underground. This is mainly referred as the training hall for all our apprentices. And to the right of this floor," she lead them to a set of two large doors. "We have the office of our,"

"Wow," Orihime interrupted as she set her sights on the large window to the side. "What an incredible view!" Ichigo peered over her shoulders to see an astonishing sight of the forest and village nearby. But what Ichigo like best were the exquisite pigments heightened by the setting sun. The colors were truly a sight to be treasures. But why he appreciated the colors so much was beyond him. "You can see the tops of the forest from here." Orihime continued. "I can even see the crystal blue lake from here. That's like miles away."

"Well of course you can, you twit." Nanao shot back, clearly annoyed at being interrupted midsentence. "The guild was built on the side of a cliff. Or where you unaware of that fact?"

"Oh, I knew that." Orihime lowered her head as she walked over to the group. She felt like such a rube, getting overexcited over something as silly as looking out a window. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, Miss Nanao." Orihime hoped that her momentary act of absentmindedness didn't make Miss Nanao reconsider her decision to allow them to join the guild.

"As I was saying." Nanao simply ignored the girl's outburst and carried on with her statement. "This is the chamber of our respectable guild master. On no account, I repeat, no account, should either of you show even an ounce of disrespect to our master. He is one of the strongest Shinigami of all the land and I expect nothing less than your absolute respect for the guild master." She took her glasses off to give the pair a bone chilling glare that even made Ichigo break into a cold sweat. "I will not tolerant any impertinence from anyone. Is that clear?" Ichigo and Orihime precipitously straightened their posture as they gave her a nod.

"Glad to her." she replaced her glasses and turned to the door. "Guild Master," she gave the doors a few knocks. "It is you second in command, Nanao, requesting permission to enter." They waited for a few moments, but there was no respond from the other side of the door. "Guild Master?" she called out again, but again there was nothing. "I'm coming in," she opened the doors and walked in, with Ichigo and Orihime trailing behind her. From the moment he entered the room, Ichigo could smell the strong scent of sake permeating the air. As He looked ahead, he caught a sight of a man lying in the middle of the room. He was dressed in the typical Shinigami shihakushō, however, this guy was also wearing a pink kimono with flower print. It sort of looked like the same material used for the guild tent. His face was covered with a large straw hat, moving up and down with every loud snore he gave. And judging by the empty bottles of sake that surrounded him, it was obvious that this guy was most likely sleeping off one hell of a hangover.

_This_, Ichigo looked on in confusion. _This can't be the great guild master Orihime and Miss Nanao was talking about. _

"Guild Master Kyōraku," Nanao called out as she walked closer to the man. "There are two Shinigami who wish to join the guild as new apprentices." But the man carried on with his nap. "Guild Master Kyōraku," she called out with a bit more force in her voice. But that did nothing to wake the guild master. She let out heavy sigh. "GUILD MASTER KYORAKU!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. The guild master suddenly shot up, his hat falling to the floor. He was an older looking man with grey eyes and long wavy brown hair, which was tied in a long ponytail. The thin layer of facial hair that covered the lower half of his face added to his lazy look.

"What happened?" he asked as his hand scrambled across the floor, knocking over a few bottles over. "Is it morning already?"

"It's actually dusk now, sir." Nanao answered as she picked up the bottles. "But that is beside the point sir. You have visitors who wish an audience with you."

"Visitors?" he looked over Nanao's shoulder towards Ichigo and Orihime. "Hiya." He picked up his hat and placed it back on top of his head. "The name is Shunsui Sōzōsuke Jirō Kyōraku, however you can just call me Kyōraku for short. I'm the guild master of this fine establishment. But I figured that my sweet little Nanao has already mentioned that." Nanao had a look of disapproval on her face. "But enough about me. What can I do for you two?"

"These two wish to join the guild as apprentices." Nanao stated.

"Do they now?" He ran his hand over his stubby beard for a brief moment. "Alright then. Let's do this." he stood up and walked over to the pair. Closing his eyes, he placed each of his palms on the two Shinigami's forehand. "By the power invest in me, as master of this guild, I hereby decreed from this day forward, that Shinigami…" He paused for moment as his left eye opened, staring at Ichigo. Ichigo hadn't the foggiest clue on what he was doing,

"He waiting on your name," Nanao informed the young Shinigami.

"Um, Ichigo."

"And Shinigami…" he continued.

"Orihime." Orihime replied instantaneously.

"Shinigami Ichigo and Shinigami Orihime to be official members of this exploration guild." A blinding light suddenly flashed from Master Kyōraku's hands as a loud boom filled the room. Orihime was obviously startled by the noise as she let out a shriek. But Ichigo could see that it was just Nanao hitting a large drum that was hidden to the side. Ichigo thought this whole ceremony was a waste of his time. Orihime, on the other hand, looked like she was about to cry with tears of joy.

"Oh thank you much, great master Kyōraku!" Orihime happily cried out.

"Don't mention it. It's always nice to see new faces around the guild" He replied with a ditzy look on his face. "Especially the cutes one such as yourself."

"Master Kyōraku," Nanao said while standing right behind the man, clearly upset with his behavior. "Now is not the time for your shenanigans. Besides, I believe you are forgetting something."

"Oh yeah. You two have to register your exploration team's name."

"Name?" Orihime and Ichigo both said.

"Yes," Nanao interjected. "In order for this arrangement to official, you must register you exploration team under a unique name. It makes it easier for us to track each team's location and progress."

"Ichigo," Orihime turned to her partner. "What do you think would be a good for our team?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ichigo retorted. "This was your idea, wasn't it? So shouldn't you be the one to come up with the name."

"I know, but it just that I think it's only fair that you get to pick. Since it was because of you that I finally gained the courage to join."

"Geez," Ichigo muttered, turning his gaze away from her. Ichigo could barely remember his own name. He doubt that he could come up with a name right on the spot. But Orihime was offering him a chance to name this team out of gratitude and it would be rude of him to decline.

_Well, we are soul reapers._ He thought to himself_. And we're gonna be in charge helping others in need. So I guess that makes us some kind of heroes. Soul Reaper Heroes. No. Soul Heroes!_

"How about Soul Heroes?" Ichigo suggested. Though now that he said it out loud, it sound much cooler in his head.

"Soul Heroes?" Orihime repeated to herself, thinking about it. "Soul Heroes." She gave him a smile as she nodded. "I love it! It's such an awesome name for our team!" Orihime clapped her hands. "Team Soul Heroes!"

"It's settled then!" Kyōraku said. "You two will now be known as Team Soul Heroes! Congratulations!" He picked bottle of sake from the floor and rocked it around to see if there was still some sake left inside. "Let's have ourselves a celebratory drink for this joyous occasion."

"MASTER KYORAKU!" Nanao shouted. "That is highly inappropriate!"

"Fine then." He set the bottle down and made his way to a wooden chest to the left of the room. "You're such a kill joy, little Nanao." He rummaged through the chest for a bit before pulling out two the pentagon shaped items. "Here," the master called out as he toss them their way. Ichigo caught the item with one hand while Orihime fumbled it, barely catching it before it hit the floor. They both looked the pentagon shaped badge with a skull. "Those are your explorer's badge. Those little fellas mark you as an official exploration, Even though you're both entering as apprentices. So do your best to train and move up in the guild."

"We promise we will Master Kyōraku!" Orihime said as she clutched her badge in her hands. "Won't we, Ichigo?" she said as she turned to face Ichigo. Ichigo just looked back down at his badge. Why was he even doing this? None of this was going to help him regain his memories. Nor was it going to explain why this Vasto Lorde had suddenly turned into a Shinigami. And he was sure as hell not expecting any useful information from this drunken master. But as he looked at Orihime, the happiness overflowing from her, he decided that he would go along with this for the moment, just until he had found a lead that would eventually solve all his problems.

"Yeah," Ichigo answered. "We'll give it our all."

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"This will be your dormitory," Nanao the door to their room. "While you carry out your apprenticeship with the guild." The room was a fairly good sized and came with every the pair would need.

"Wow! We even get our own bed," Orihime let herself fall onto one of the bed. "It feels so soft, like lying on a cloud."

"Now there are some rules we need to address,"

"Look Ichigo." Orihime interrupted once again as she rushed to the small circular window. "We have a window here too. Just look at how beautiful the moon is." Suddenly realizing that she had cut off Miss Nanao, she quickly apologized. "Oh, sorry Miss Nanao. What were you said?"

"Never mind." She just let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose we can discuss those tomorrow. For now, it's best to get some sleep for you have a busy day ahead of you." As she reached for the door, she turned to the duo once more. "And welcome abroad. We expect great things from you two." And with that she closed the door behind her.

"Well, I guess we should get to bed now." Orihime said as she returned to her bed. "We want to be fully rested for tomorrow."

"I guess you're right." Ichigo took the bed next to her and let himself collapsed on top of it. He didn't realized how tired his body was until he laid in the bed. Now every muscle in his body was crying out for some relaxation. But with the day he has had, waking up on a beach, turning into a Shinigami, and joining a guild, he wasn't surprised. After a while, Orihime had finally decided to blow out the candle. But she found herself unable to sleep.

"Ichigo," Orihime called out. "Are you still awake?" Ichigo responded with a soft groan. "I'm too excited to fall asleep. Even now, my heart is still racing from all the excitement. But," she smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. "I glad I finally forced myself to step into the guild. I was worried that the guild master would be one of those scary looking Shinigami, but Master Kyōraku is actually a very nice man." She turned to Ichigo, resting her head in her hand. "I know that things will probably get tougher and probably more dangerous. But for the first time in a long time, I'm not afraid. In fact, I'm actually looking forward for tomorrow. I know I can do this, so long as you're by my side." As Orihime opened her eyes, she noticed that Ichigo had already fallen asleep. "You're right, Ichigo. We should probably get some sleep." As she pulled the covers over herself, she turned to her friend one last time. "Good night, Ichigo." She let out a yawn as she closed her eyes. "Let's try our best for now on." But though Ichigo's eyes were closed, his mind was still alert.

_So now I'm apprenticing at a guild._ He thought as he laid in the darkness. _It's not what I had in mind when I agreed to join Orihime_. But as much as Ichigo didn't want to admit it, even he was a little excited about tomorrow. But as much as he was eager, he couldn't forget why he had decided to team up with her in the first place.

_To find out who am I and how did I get transform into a Shinigami? _He let out sigh. _And what happened to me before I ended up on the beach?_ But there was still that lingering fear that Ichigo couldn't just shake away. What would he do if he didn't find the answers to his questions? Would he give his quest and except his memoryless existence? Or would he have to venture on his own to find his past, without Orihime. His train of thought was suddenly interrupted by one of Orihime's snores.

"I guess there is no point thinking about this now." Ichigo said to himself as he yawned, the fatigue finally getting to him. For the time being, it was best just to focus on their apprentice's' work. Perhaps if he did well, everything would eventually become clear to him. As his laid in his bed, his mind slowly slipping into unconscious, he gave one last thought.

I'm sure I'll get to the bottom of this soon enough. And with that, Ichigo drifted into a deep sleep.

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A/N: Now I know some of you are going to criticize me for changing the silly and lovable Wigglytuff into the drunken and womanizing Kyoraku. Let the record show that I did consider other candidates for the roles, Kyoraku seemed the most logical choice, with his carefree nature, relaxed personality. And not to mention his very stern second in command. So I hoped you enjoyed this update and hopefully I will get another chapter up a little faster next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Hi. So I finally got around to completely this chapter. Sorry for the wait. It's been a busy month for me.

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Chapter 5

"HEY!" a loud voice echoed throughout the room. The vibrations of such a loud roar where causing Ichigo's ears to ring. "HEY NEWBIES! RISE AND SHINE!" Ichigo let out a loud groan as he pressed his hand over his ears, trying desperately to protect his ears from the noise.

_Uggh, My head!_ Ichigo though as he turned under his covers. _I swear that ridiculously loud voice could blast out someone's eardrums!_ As he slowed gained consciousness, he recognized this booming voice. It was the same man that was arguing with sentry Kiyone yesterday. He believed that she addressed him as Sentarō. He definitely couldn't forget about a voice that loud. As he cracked his eyes open a bit, Ichigo could see a male Shinigami standing in the doorway of their room. This man was a tall man with black hair and a matching short goatee. He was the standard Shinigami shihakushō. However, it seemed as he had customized his shihakushō with a thin white headband and white straps around his shoulders, which were tied in a circle at his back. And judging from the stern expression on this man's face, it was apparent that he was quite upset as he marched through the room and pulled the curtains wide open. "WHY ARE YOU ROOKIES STILL ASLEEP?"

"M...my poor ears," Orihime moaned as she covered her head with her pillow.

"QUIT YOUR DAMN COMPLAINING!" Sentarō said as he pulled both covers off of Ichigo and Orihime. "NOW GET OUT OF BED! AS SENIOR APPRENTICE OF KYORAKU'S GUILD, IT IS MY OBLIGATION TO ASSURE THAT ALL ROOKIES GET UP IN TIME TO MAKE IT TO OUR MORNING BRIEFING. THAT MEANS IF YOU TWO ARE LATE, JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TO SLEEP IN, I'LL BE THE ONE GETTING CHEWED OUT BY MISS NANAO! AND IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU TWO WILL BE THE ONES THAT ARE SORRY! NOW MOVE IT!"

"We're up, you loudmouth…" Ichigo groaned as he turned away from the glaring sun.

"YOU'RE NOT UP UNTIL YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE, ROOKIES! NOW HURRY UP! GUILDMASTER KYOKAKU MAY SEEM LIKE A MILD MANNER GUY, BUT GET ON HIS BAD SIDE…" Sentarō's face suddenly grew pale as he recalled a fearsome encounter with the master. "That would be one scary scene! I get goosebumps just thinking about it." As he focused again on the rookies, he noticed that Orihime and Ichigo had fallen back to sleep. He marched in between the two beds and lifted his arms, facing his palms towards the two dozing Shinigami.

"Hadō #1. Shō." He chanted as he sent two strong waves at the sleeping pair, thrusting them out of their beds and onto the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Ichigo roared as he got to his feet. "Are you trying to kill us!?"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, ROOKIE! MAYBE IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN UP WHEN I TOLD YOU, THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE TO RESORT TO SUCH EXTREME MEASURES!" He shouted as he headed towards the door. Just before he exited, he gave one last glance at the two. "NOW YOU BETTER BE DOWN IN 5 MINUTES OR ELSE THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY!" And with that, he gave the door a violent slam.

"Damn that guy!" Ichigo walked over to help up his partner. "Even his actions are louder than thunder!"

"My head is killing me." Orihime said as she fell to the bed. ""what was he going on about?"

"Something about a meeting, I think." Ichigo mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. Suddenly both their eyes snapped open as they both came to the same dreadful realization.

"The morning meeting!" Ichigo and Orihime shouted in union as they rushed out the door.

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Orihime waited nervously in from the meeting hall, hesitant to walk in late. She knew that if she were to walk in now, the other Shinigami would all be looking at them. Probably wondering how a good for nothing like her, who couldn't even get up early enough to get to the morning meeting in time, was able to gain an apprenticeship with the exploration guild. She felt like running away again, not wanting to deal with the embarrassment.

"Come on, Orihime." Ichigo said as he placed his hand on the door. "What's the hold up?"

"I'm just nervous." She began to wring her fingers in an anxious manner. "We're late, on the first day of our apprenticeship. I wanted to start this adventure off on the right foot, doing everything correct. But now it feels like we already screwed up. What if this is a sign that were doomed to fail? What if Miss Nanao decides that we aren't ready to be in the guild and kicks us out? What if…" but before Orihime could finish her rant, she felt her partner give her a flick to the forehead. "Ichigo!" she cried as she covered her forehead, trying to protect it against another attack. "What was that for?"

"To calm you down, you worrywart." Ichigo replied as he set his hand on top of her head. "You don't have to agonize yourself over silly things like being late to some dumb meeting. It will be alright."

"Ichigo," Orihime just stood there, amazed with Ichigo's confidence and levelheadedness.

"And if they do expel us over such a petty demerit, then maybe this isn't the guild for you."

"You're absolutely right, Ichigo." But as she faced the door, she turned to Ichigo and smiled at him. "Thank you, Ichigo."

"For what?" Ichigo countered, confused with this girl's action. It's not like he did anything to warden this girl's gratitude.

"Oh, nothing." She franticly waved her hands around, trying desperately to change the subject. "Well, let's go to the meeting before were really late!" as the two opened the large hall doors, they were meet with a large group of Shinigami. It was such a differentiated group. There were female and male Shinigami. Some Shinigami were short and very young looking while others were more than a foot taller than even Ichigo. Some had a stern look to them while others looked sweet and harmless. And they all had their heads turned towards Ichigo and Orihime.

"YOU"RE LATE ROOKIES!" they could hear Sentarō shout as they walked in the hall, Orihime's head held down.

"Hush," Miss Nanao called out from the front of the room, glaring down at the loud mouthed Shinigami. "Your voice is ridiculously loud for this hour of the morning, senior apprentice Sentarō."

"Sorry, Miss Nanao." Sentarō replied in an unusually low voice as he sank behind the other Shinigami.

"And as for you two," she turned to Ichigo and Orihime. "When I say bright and early, I mean exactly that. Seeing that this is your first day, I will let this one go without any disciplinary action. However, I do want this to become a habit. Is that Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." The two bowed as they rushed to join the others, moving to the back of the group to avoid any more mortification. Miss Nanao took one more look over the group.

"Now then, it would appear that we are present and accounted for. Let us conduct our usual morning address." She walked over to the large doors of the guild master's office. "Guild master Kyōraku," she gave the door a knock. "The guild is in full attendance and ready to be address for the day." The door flung open as the guild master casually scrolled out, his hair completely astray and clothes all wrinkly as if they were slept in.

"Morning already?" he let out a yawn as he reached down his kosode to scratch his chest.

"Yes, Guild Master Kyōraku." Miss Nanao replied. "If you would please address the crew." The apprentices waited quickly for their almighty leader to speak. Even Ichigo was curious to see what this lazy drunk had to say. Maybe it would explain why he was so revere by his guild. But the only sound to come from the guild master was a loud snore.

"Wow," a young boy whispered to Ichigo. "Guild master Kyōraku never ceases to amaze me."

"You got that right." Ichigo sarcastically responded. How the hell was this goofball in charge of a guild and command Shinigami like Miss Nanao was beyond him. The other Shinigami, however, seemed to have the same high level respect as this boy as They began to whispered among themselves about their great leader.

"Incredible!" a large man with sunglasses said. "He looks like he is wide awake."

"Eeek! His eyes are open wide!" Said a girl with a bun. "But he is fast asleep!"

"THAT'S BECAUSE GUILDMASTER Kyōraku IS A REAL MAN!" Sentarō blurted out. "AND A REAL MAN NEVER SHOWS WEAKNESS."

"Thank you sir for…um….once again uplifting your guild members' spirits." Miss Nanao said in an attempt to redirect the group as she led Master Kyōraku back into his office. "We all value your ur… words of wisdom. Surely we will all take our guild master's words of wisdom to heart."

"Words of wisdom, my butt." Ichigo quietly muttered under his breathe. "He's just snoring."

"That is enough out of you, you orange haired hooligan." Nanao stared him down with one of her ice cold glares before focusing on the rest of the group. "Before I release you to continue with your daily responsibilities, let us chant our morning cheer." She cleared her throat. "One," she called out.

"DON'T SHIRK WORK!" The others chanted in union, except for Orihime and Ichigo, who could only watch.

"Two," Miss Nanao continued.

"THERE IS NO GLORY OR REWARD IN RUNNING AWAY!" they shouted.

"And three,"

"POSITIVE THINKING CAN GO A LONG WAY!"

"Very good. Dismiss." Miss Nanao said as she gave a wave to the other Shinigami.

"Yes ma'am!" the group called out before breaking apart, each group going their own separate way. But before Orihime and Ichigo could do anything else, Miss Nanao called out to them.

"Apprentice Orihime and Apprentice Ichigo," Nanao said as she started towards the ladder. "This way." She said as she ascended upwards. "And try not to lose your footing again."

"Yes ma'am." The two replied as they followed behind their superior.

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"As new recruits to the guild, there is quite a bit I must go over with you two before letting you out in the field." Nanao said as three stood in the rec hall. As a respond, Ichigo and Orihime gave a nod. "Very well," she placed her hand on a large broad, cluttered with flyers, which hung on the wall behind her. "This is our guild's job bulletin broad. This broad is where you two will be receiving your missions from now on. Please note that each mission had its own difficulty rating. As rookies, it is important that you don't get overconfident and try to take on a mission that is well above your ability. That is usually the problem that many new recruits run into on their first few missions. And if we have to go and save your party, just because of your own ego, then I will make sure that you two will pay for wasting my time and your guild members' time. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am." The two answered back. By the look on her face, they could tell that one of the worse things you could do was to waste Miss Nanao's time.

"Excellent." Nanao turned back to the bulletin broad. "I am sure that you have noticed that the broad seems to be occupied with a massive flow of missions coming into the guild. That is because of a sudden increase in the appearance of hollows and corrupt Shinigami causing a commotion all over the place. Probably a result of the dilemma our world is dealing with at the moment."

"What dilemma?" Ichigo asked.

"Parts of the world are beginning to freeze." Orihime replied.

"You mean like with ice?" Ichigo said. He couldn't understand how ice could be such a problem for a guild full of Shinigami. After all, he was sure that many of them could just melt the ice with a Hadō or something.

"You haven't heard yet?" Miss Nanao inquired, raising one eyebrow in curiosity. Surely any Shinigami would be informed with the happenings of their world. It was as if this boy was living under a rock for the last few months. "How could you not know about the distortion of the time flow?"

"The what?"

"That places, all over the world, are freezing in time." Orihime informed her partner.

"Wait up," Ichigo cut Orihime off. "Time? As is hours, minutes and seconds. Is that even possible?"

"It is." Orihime answered back. "Time has completely stopped in certain areas. Rivers have stopped flowing, leaves are suspending in midair, and the colors of that area have been completely drained."

"Precisely," Nanao interjected. "The alteration to the flow of time is causing total havoc in our world. As members of the exploration guild, it is our civil duty to protect the civilians and bring these delinquents to justice."

_The flow of time is messing up?_ Ichigo thought to himself. _How is something that bizarre even possible?_ He didn't think something like that was plausible. And how could that cause more evil Shinigami and hollows to just randomly pop up.

"In addition to the increase in crime, we are also experiencing a strange phenomenon that can only be classified as an outbreak in mystery dungeons."

"Mystery dungeons?"

"You know how you helped me retrieve my relic fragment yesterday. The cave we were in yesterday is a mystery dungeon. That one barely popped up a few weeks ago." Orihime said.

"Really?"

"Yes. A lot more have spawned around the world. And these places a gathering place for many hollows and bad Shinigami."

"My, aren't we informative." Nanao said. "This makes my job easier. Your assignments will be taking place in these mystery dungeons. Beware, these dungeons are not to be taken lightly. They are quite dangerous and teeming with villainous creatures. If you are defeated in within the dungeon area, a reuse party will be sent out to retrieve you two. In exchange for half of you funds. So always be well prepared for any mission and be aware of your surroundings. Alright?"

"Yes, Miss Nanao."

"Now then," Nanao turned back to the broad and began to scan through the flyer before pulling one off. "I believe that this mission will be appropriate for your level of experience." She handed the flyer to the pair.

"Ooh I'm so excited!" Orihime squealed as she began to scan through the paper. But as she read farther down, her smile began to drop.

_**Greetings, my name is Shino.**_

_**A few days ago, some bandits made off with my most prized possession; one of my favorite head doilies. That doily is very important to me. I simply can't step a foot outside my house without my beloved doily in its proper place; sitting on top of my head. I've heard that the bandits were sighted near the Rocky bluff. I would have gone myself, but the area is full of hollows and much too dangerous to go in alone. But I refuse to give up on my treasure. So please help me!**_

"Wait a minute!" Ichigo looked up from the flyer. "Our so called important mission is to fetch an item that someone lost. I thought that we were supposed to go on amazing adventures, not be some lost and found for careless people."

"I'm with Ichigo." Orihime said. Normally, she would have accepted the mission without any hesitation. But she couldn't accept a job that seemed so…small. "I think we would both prefer a more exciting mission, like looking for treasure or exploring an unknown place."

"Silence!" Nanao commanded as she raised her reiatsu, causing both Shinigami to settle down. "As second in command of this guild, I will not tolerate this insolence, especially from newcomers such as yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

"We're sorry!" the two said as they bowed their heads, both frightened by the strength of this woman before them.

"good." She said as she began to lower her reiatsu back to normal levels. "Now I know that you two want more exciting missions. But I must ensure your wellbeing before anything else. To send two new apprentices on anything higher than a level one mission, that would just be irresponsible on my part. I promise you two will eventually be given more challenging assignments. But for now, we need to take baby steps."

"Yes, Miss Nanao." Orihime couldn't help but be disappointed by their first mission. She was hoping for something exhilarating, an adventure worthy of being her first mission. But to go to Rocky Bluff, just to find a doily, that seem totally lame, even for a scarily cat like her. And she couldn't imagine how poor Ichigo felt about this. She doubted that Ichigo would find any clues to his identity on this job. To sum it up, this mission was going to be a complete waste of time. But she guessed that Nanao did make a valid argument. It would be pretty reckless to send a couple of rookies on a dangerous mission. So for the time being, she would just have to suck it up and take whatever boring mission Miss Nanao assigned them.

"Very well. Now off with you." Nanao said as she sent our heroes off on their first mission.

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A/N: I'm sorry for sure the uneventful chapter. This chapter was meant to be longer. However the end product was a 6000+ words chapter. And if you haven't figured out by now, I am not fond of long chapter. And the most logical choice was to split it right here. Don't worry, the next chapter will be more eventful and hopfully I can get it out within the next few days.


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